With the start of 2014, the age of incandescent bulbs is rapidly dimming. The beginning of the year marked the end of production of 40- and 60-watt incandescent bulbs in the United States. Lamps at 75 watts and higher are already out of production.

Incandescent Alternatives

With the end of these lower wattage bulbs, many homeowners in the U.S. need to start thinking about options. The three main contenders are halogen, CFL and LED. Each has its own characteristics, but all offer more energy savings than the incandescent.

Halogen – If you want a lamp that closely mimics the light of the incandescent bulb, the halogen is the best option. They’re 28 percent more efficient than incandescent bulbs while giving you the same warm light. It’s the least efficient of the three bulbs though.

CFL – Some people who have already switched from incandescent have gone with compact fluorescent lamps. The main criticism about CFL is the light is colder than the incandescent and they don’t reach full brightness until they warm up. A 15-watt CFL bulb provides the same amount of light as a 60-watt incandescent.

LED – A common complaint about LED lamps is that they don’t look anything like the incandescent. However, that’s changing as new designs come out. The LED is more efficient than the CFL, replacing a 60-watt incandescent with one that uses only 11 watts. Plus, instead of lasting only a few months, an LED can last for more than 10 years.

As you replace your incandescent bulbs with your choice of new lamps, you should start seeing your energy bills decrease. For more information about energy efficiency and savings, contact us at Meyer’s. We’ve provided heating, cooling, plumbing and electrical service in northwest Indiana and south Chicagoland since 1951.

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